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Transformers: The Movie – Ultimate Edition (UK - DVD R2)

Reviewer Chris Gould has love for the film because it was born in the '80s...

Feature

It is the year 2005. The villainous Decepticons, lead by the maniacal Megatron, have conquered the Transformers’ home-world of Cyberton and banished the valiant Autobots to the planet Earth. However, the Autobots and their noble leader, Optimus Prime, are secretly planning to retake the planet from hidden staging grounds on two of Cybertron’s moons. Unfortunately the Decepticons learn of this plan and, using a stolen Autobot shuttle, strike at the very heart of their enemy—Autobot City, Earth.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

Caught unaware, the Autobots mount a courageous counter-offensive, but after many hours under siege their chances of survival look slim at best. When all hope seems lost, Optimus Prime arrives with reinforcements and helps to turn the tide of the battle, but at great personal cost. Mortally wounded during a titanic struggle with Megatron, Prime’s last act is to pass the Autobot Matrix of Leadership to his old friend, Ultra Magnus. Elsewhere, Megatron’s traitorous lieutenant, Starscream, seizes his opportunity for advancement and jettisons the battered remains of his former commander and a number of injured Decepticons into the vast reaches of space, thus paving the way for his ascension to the Decepticon throne.

It is while drifting through space that the injured Decepticons encounter a monstrous, planet-sized entity known as Unicron. For reasons unknown, Unicron seeks the destruction of the Autobot Matrix, and to this end he makes Megatron an offer he is unable to refuse: serve him, or die. Unicron heals Megatron’s ravaged body, recreating him as the all-powerful Galvatron—a being even less prone to compassion and decency than Megatron—before ordering him to exterminate the Autobots and crush the Matrix. The fate of all Transformers—and indeed the universe itself—rests upon the shoulders of a single Autobot; one who must rise from the ranks to adopt the mantle of leadership and put an end to Unicron’s destructive reign once and for all.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

Video

As with previous releases, this ‘Ultimate Edition’ includes a 4:3 (open-matte) aspect ratio transfer of the film. However, unlike most of the previous releases Metrodome has also included a remastered widescreen (1.78:1) version of the film! Now before you get too excited, you’re not getting to see more picture than before. In fact, quite the opposite is true, because the widescreen image has been created by simply cropping the existing 4:3 version of the film. I’m sure there are some people out there who will cry foul when they hear this, but rest assured, this is exactly how the original theatrical release was exhibited (indeed, it’s how many, many widescreen films are created to this very day).

Firstly, let me just say that I am 99% certain that this transfer was created from the same print as the Sony BMG effort. There are just too many similarities between the two for it to be coincidental. For example, things like minor fluctuations in colour stability and the appearance of film artefacts occurring at identical times on both releases. Although touted as a progressive film-to-PAL transfer on their message boards, Metrodome’s image is in fact flagged as interlaced. However, that’s not as bad as it sounds because PAL’s 2/2 sequence doesn’t introduce the same sort of interlacing artefacts as NTSC’s 2/3 sequence. This is the first major advantage that Metrodome’s release has over the recent Sony BMG disc, but it is not the last.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

For the most part the colour rendition on Metrodome’s release is markedly superior to the Sony BMG disc, although there a number of scenes where the quality drops noticeably (check out the first set of screen caps for an example). The image presented here is also sharper than any previous release I’ve seen (which is a real blessing), and contrast and brightness have been evened out somewhat. The widescreen framing is also slightly different to the Sony BMG transfer, containing more information at the bottom of the screen with a sliver less at the top (again noticeable on the screen caps) and slightly less to the sides. Film artefacts are improved over the older releases, but as already stated there’s nothing between this and Sony BMG’s disc in that respect. All-in-all this is definitely the best the film has ever looked, but the transfer is not without its faults.

Audio

Metrodome listened to all of the negative comments directed at the Dolby Digital 5.1 track on their ‘Reconstructed’ release and enlisted the help of Transformers expert Chris McFeely when creating the new mix for the ‘Ultimate Edition’. The end result is definitely an improvement. While I generally accept that 5.1 remixes of older films aren’t going to be entirely faithful to the source material, I do believe that you at least have to remain loyal to the spirit of the original. In many circumstances these remixes can add a great deal to aging films, such as the fantastic track that accompanies the DVD release of Superman: The Movie. Unfortunately ‘Reconstructed’ went too far by adding to and altering the iconic sound effects from the film—the most infamous of which was Optimus Prime’s rifle—pulling the viewer out of the movie experience.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

While this new 5.1 track retains some of the additions from the ‘Reconstructed’ effort, many of the audio gaffes have been rectified. Well, more or less. While the sound of Prime’s rifle has been restored to its former glory, the actual level of the audio is much quieter than it should be. It’s really is quite jarring, as the rifle sounds perfectly normal in one shot, but is barely audible in the next. There are also problems with the dynamic range of the track, with a number of scenes sounding much quieter than those that bookend them. However, this eases off as the film progresses and this particular issue also affected Sony BMG’s release. Sill, at least we’re not forced to listen to the dreaded ‘whip crack’ noises found on the ‘Reconstructed’ disc.

Surround utilisation is generally limited to the rocky soundtrack and Vince DiCola’s score, but the effects occasionally find their way into the rears. These mostly consist of ships whooshing overhead, but the booming, omnipresent voice of Unicron himself also finds a home in the surround channels. However, a lot of these effects sound out of place. Dialogue is generally crisp and clear—although there are occasional moments where things are lost in the mix—but bass is lacking when compared to newer releases (and curiously the Sony BMG disc is slightly better in this respect). I’ve always had a soft spot for DiCola’s score—especially the piece ‘Autobot-Decepticon Battle’—but I was never a fan of the aforementioned hair metal soundtrack when I was a kid. However, over the years I’ve grown to appreciate its cheesy goodness. If it’s good enough for Dirk Diggler...

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

I'm not as familiar with the original audio as someone like Chris McFeely, but from what I sampled the Dolby 2.0 Stereo track didn’t appear to contain any extraneous effects. Certainly, listening to the second attack on Autobot City (right before the 'No, you'd better stay close to me!' line) there are a few blasts and metallic clunks on the 5.1 track that aren't present on the 2.0 track (or are buried deep enough in the mix to go undetected). I was unable to directly compare the 2.0 track with the original audio because my Video Gems cassette has seen better days, but on the whole I’d say that it’s a fairly faithful representation. It’s just a pity that, once again, silly quality control issues prevent this release from wresting the Transformers: The Movie audio crown away from Sony BMG.

Extras

The main attraction on disc one is an audio commentary by Transformers super-fan Chris McFeely (who sounds a little bit like Ed Byrne). I was a tad worried when I discovered that this release was to have a commentary track featuring only one participant, but thankfully Chris does a good job of filling the running time. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to Transformers, and goes into great detail about many of the lesser-known elements of the production and the Transformers universe as a whole. Unfortunately this occasionally leads to digression, which in turn leads to on-screen events going unmentioned (such as the entire prologue featuring Unicron’s destruction of Lithone). Even so, this is a still an interesting and informative track.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

The rest of the bonus material on disc one continues with ‘Alternate UK and US Scenes’, which compares three scenes from the movie in both their UK and US forms. The scenes in question are ‘Opening Credits’, ‘Spike’s Expletive’ and ‘End Credits’. The main difference between the two versions is the addition of a voiceover on the UK release, along with the absence of any swearing in the UK version.Fourteen trailers and TV spots come next, the most interesting of which is the Japanese trailer with its numerous deleted shots. These are swiftly followed by ‘Title, Colour & Exposure Tests’, but I can’t say I was terribly enthused by those.

Slightly more interesting are the ‘Character Profiles’, which provide information on many of the major Autobot and Decepticon players. They’re presented in a style reminiscent of the old ‘tech specs’ that came with the toys, which is a nice touch. Finally we have a new Transformers: The Movie trailer, but it adds very little to the content provided by the other trailers. Unfortunately there are a number of silly errors that should have been avoided (entire sections of one character’s biography appearing in another character’s biography, for example).

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

Disc two contains the bulk of the supplemental material, or at least the more lengthy featurettes. First up we have a twenty-four minute ‘Interview with Flint Dille, Story Consultant’. Flint talks in-depth about his move from the G.I. Joe TV series to the Transformers series, recounting many of the events of the time. In fact the whole interview is pretty anecdotal, with stories about everything from discarded movie scripts that never were to bailing Chris Latta (the voice of Starscream) out of jail. On the whole this is a more informative and enjoyable interview than the one found on the Sony release.

The second major featurette, entitled ‘Peter Cullen, The Voice of Optimus Prime, Q & A’, runs for around twenty minutes and includes a 2005 Comic-Con appearance by the voice artist. Cullen arrives to thunderous applause and proceeds to field questions from the audience, beginning with his showbiz break in 1970s Los Angeles on The Sonny and Cher Show. He goes on to answer numerous questions before pleasing the audience with a number of impromptu renditions of his most recognisable characters (Ironhide and Optimus Prime, the latter of which was modelled on his brother). Perhaps the most touching part of the documentary comes when Cullen recounts the story of a terminally ill boy whose biggest wish was to communicate with the voice Optimus Prime, and how he developed a relationship with the boy before his passing.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

The Japanese episode ‘Scramble City’ comes next. It takes place before the movie in continuity and features many of the characters introduced in the second season of the series, along with a few new ones (such as Ultra Magnus). From what I can gather, most people are curious as to whether this episode includes the ‘original’ audio. Well, it’s certainly in Japanese with questionable subtitles, but seeing as around a third of the episode is comprised of clips from the American series the term ‘original’ is open to interpretation. Personally I don’t think ‘Scramble City’ is a patch on the G1 Transformers stuff I grew up with up with, as everything was needlessly complicated. Thankfully Chris McFeely is once again on hand to guide us through the episode (and boy is he needed).

Next up we have ‘Test Deleted/Alternate Footage with Commentary’, which runs for around five minutes. There’s nothing worth getting particularly worked up about here, as the footage mostly consists of incomplete animation or errors. However, the sequence does include the only known deleted scene from Transformers: The Movie, but even that is a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ affair. As always, Chris McFeely is on hand to talk us through the proceedings.

The last of the bonus material is comprised of a non-anamorphic trailer for the forthcoming live-action Transformers movie, eleven minutes of animated storyboards and some DVD-Rom content. Actually, the DVD-Rom content is probably the most interesting of these few bonus pieces, mostly because it contains not only the entire script for the film, but also a complete list of sound effects that were added and removed for the new 5.1 track.

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

So there you have it, not a bad selection of extras, but not quite as good as the Sony BMG effort and many of them have been ported from the old Reconstructed DVD. Sony’s release features superior presentation (Metrodome’s menus are functional at best), two commentary tracks (one fan-based group effort and another featuring the director, writer and one of the voice actors), more in-depth interviews and a great little feature called the ‘Autobot Matrix of Knowledge’, which displays pop-up trivia as you watch the film.

Overall

So, is it worth buying yet another Transformers: The Movie DVD? On the whole I’d have to say yes. However, while this is certainly the best region two release to date, there are a number of things that prevent it from attaining true ‘Ultimate Edition’ status. The most important of these is the relative lack of bonus material (compared to the Sony BMG release), which means you’re going to need to buy both titles to enjoy the complete Transformers: The Movie experience. Other niggles concern periodic variances in the audio-visual quality and some sloppy presentation (the aforementioned errors in the character bios for example).

Sony BMG 20th Anniversary Edition

Metrodome Ultimate Edition

I also have some reservations about the asking price for this two-disc set. In 2007 we should not be paying more for our DVDs than we were a decade ago, and one has to wonder if the title would be more conservatively priced if a live-action Transformers movie were not just around the corner. Anyway, these minor quibbles aside, it’s almost third time lucky for Metrodome. The visual elements are clearly superior to anything that’s come before, and Chris McFeely’s solo commentaries pack a lot of information into a short amount of time. This alone is reason enough for all self-respecting ‘Trans-Fans’ to check it out.

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YOU LIFTED IT WITH THE STAND?!! ON YOUR OWN? I'm on my knees before you right now bowing to your magnificence. I've had to move it numerous times and to be honest like yourself I only have it because CRT still can't be better by a flatscreen for SD and tv broadcasts,(WHAT?!! Scream the flatscreen brigade), but I'm really thinking about something more 'manageable'.

Aye, not too bad. I've stuck with it over LCD as it gives a better image with SD DVDs. I'm not fussed about HD until the format war is decided. But as you say, very heavy. Had to lift mine on my own when I got it and it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do without knackering the stand.

A Toshiba 32 inch Active Vision widescreen set through component. I'm not changing my set up for one poxy disc that I don't have any more. I'm watching 9th Company at the minute, and it looks fr*ggin' amazing, possibly Contender's best transfer at the minute, so I see no need to fix what's not broken. Oh well, back to the drawing board. I'm not importing the R4 release anyway.

There has to be something wrong with the way you're viewing it. It can't be everyone else who's wrong. I'm not just talking about me; DVDTimes and everyone on the Metrodome Transformers forums say it's better. The screen caps above prove it's better. I'm curious, what sort of display are you watching it on?

My apologies for appearing difficult, but I just love this film to death, always have, always will. I'm just sick of all the releases it's had, and NONE of them have been worth the discs they're replicated on: 1.R1 Rhino release. Wasn't bad except for the junk section sourced from tape and an obvious compression gitch at one point. 2. R2 Maverick. Muck, looked like a VHS rip. Binned 3. R2 Metrodome. Arrrgggghhh, same cr*p picture.Binned 4. R4 Madman. Same as above, reversible cover does not make up for horrible DVD.Binned big time. 5. R2 Metrodome Reconstructed. Oops, daft aspect ratio and Prime's gun firing botch. Binned 6. R1 Sony 20th Anniversary. The only one worth keeping, never noticed any defects except the old compression nasties, and this was only on second viewing. Certainly there are flaws in the Sony disc,(first shot of Hot Rod and Daniel is very soft. Looks worse on R2 though), but I have NEVER EVER seen them as apparent and as bad as they appear on the new R2. I've watched this disc dozens of times either alone or with friends, and even then have never had a problem with the transfer. Otherwise... Bin. I had a sinking feeling about the R2 from the first frame. I didn't bin it, but I was damn near close!! Ultimate? HA!!

I'm curious - would you still have made light of the distinction had it actually backed up your earlier statement? The above response is the 'net equivalent of a great big Paris Hilton style 'whatever', which is hardly a cogent argument.

You've yet to address any of the points I made about the two releases coming from the same print. How can the R1 'wipe the floor' with the R2 when they come from they share all of the same defects and the R2 has superior definition and colour rendition? The R2 is clearly superior and you're the only person who has said otherwise on any site I've yet visited.

Chris Gould wrote: Not sure what you're watching, but the R1 and R2 come from the same print! All of the things you mention are present on the Sony release, from the film artefacts to the wobble. Just watch from the destruction of Unicron onwards as an example. On the R1 you'll see loads of film artefacts on the print, wobble through to the end credits, terrible interlacing issues and poor colour rendition. Oh, and it's also softer than the R2. The R2 'wipes the floor' with the R1.

You say 'I can't disagree enough with the review of this disc', but you actually agree with me on all but one point... Granted the 4:3 version on the R2 disc looks like c**p, but people aren't buying it for that version. On the other hand it is the UK release of the film, so that's something the R1 doesn't have.

The UK commentary is also much more detailed and focused. Chris McFeely didn't claim that Nelson Shin invented the sound of the lightsaber, he said he invented the effect, which he did (look it up). If you're going to criticise something at least do some research.

Sound/effect, yadda, yadda. Ths R2 is still rubbish, though. Say what you will. Do you reckon the forthcoming R4 release will be from the same print? The last release they put out was classed as a special edition, yet was terrible to say the least.

Not sure what you're watching, but the R1 and R2 come from the same print! All of the things you mention are present on the Sony release, from the film artefacts to the wobble. Just watch from the destruction of Unicron onwards as an example. On the R1 you'll see loads of film artefacts on the print, wobble through to the end credits, terrible interlacing issues and poor colour rendition. Oh, and it's also softer than the R2. The R2 'wipes the floor' with the R1.

You say 'I can't disagree enough with the review of this disc', but you actually agree with me on all but one point... Granted the 4:3 version on the R2 disc looks like c**p, but people aren't buying it for that version. On the other hand it is the UK release of the film, so that's something the R1 doesn't have.

The UK commentary is also much more detailed and focused. Chris McFeely didn't claim that Nelson Shin invented the sound of the lightsaber, he said he invented the effect, which he did (look it up). If you're going to criticise something at least do some research.

I can't disagree enough with the review of this disc. between the review and the actual product getting to the shelves, something must've gone horribly wrong. The remastered,(allegedly), 16x9 version looks like cack! They may have re-coloured it, but they've done sod all else to it!! Print damage and grain galore as well as,(I couldn't believe THIS), telecine wobble. The wobble looks absoutely awful towards the end, so mush so that I thought there was an earthquake outside. The Sony version,(save for some compression artifacts), absolutely wipes the floor with this cr*p! The 4x3 version is even worse than the Sony.

As for the extras, the only good thing was the peter Cullen Q&A. The commentary was dodgy to say the least with Chris Mcfeely as one point claiming that Director Nelson Shin invented the sound for the lightsaber in Star Wars... What?!!

Takeshi Tetsuryuu wrote: You mean the Maverick transfer, right? The only previous time Metrodome put The Movie out was the Reconstructed disc. Is the fullscreen version the UK edit too, or is it the US version?

Yeah I meant the Maverick UK edition (too many companies beginning with 'M'.

Thanks for the comparison review Chris. It is amazing how many times this has gotten released, but I think the R1 wins out for me. Will be getting it soon. Used to own the R1 Rhino when it first came out. I do love G1 Transformers and will see the new movie even though I don't have high hopes. Great review, keep up the great work.

Chris Gould wrote: it's not the primary reason people will be buying this release, and it looks like c**p (it's the old Metrodome transfer). You mean the Maverick transfer, right? The only previous time Metrodome put The Movie out was the Reconstructed disc. Is the fullscreen version the UK edit too, or is it the US version?

What I think would've made great additional extras would've been the Japanese opening and closing for Tatakae! Cho Robot Seimeitai Transformers (ie. the first two seasons) and 2010 (the third season), but seeing from the lack of Zone on this release, that was kind of unlikely to begin with...

Why isn't the fullscreen version included in any of the comparisons? Or doesn't it simply have any substantial differences to the widescreen version except for it has more picture on top and bottom?

Quote: but that's not necessarily a bad thing in some circumstances. I'm guessing that's what you were trying to say? Yes and people may assume as it's cropped it's immediately a negative. You're not supposed to see all footage.

It's addressed in the commentary track. The reason he probably looks orange on the older versions is because they looked c**p compared to the remastered versions. Apparently when the film was in production, a number of the character's hadn't been finalised. This meant that the toy (which came after the animation) of Hot Rod was orange, but in the movie he was pink. I've got four or five different versions of the film now and he looks pink in all of them, albeit to varying degrees.

Chris Gould wrote: Bouncy X wrote: well at least hot rod isnt pink anymore and back to his orange-ey goodness..lol

Hot Rod is still pink, he was drawn that way. It's just less pronounced.

really? well maybe it has to do with the pal/ntsc differences but hot rod/rodimus has always been an orangey/redish color over here...both in the movie and the series's 3rd season and even the toys..and judging by the reaction of sony's release in november it seems many people thought it looked funny....the odd thing is, he's pink in the widescreen version but looks fine in the full screen....

but yeah i own this movie once on vhs, and i have the rhino and sony dvds...and i even have it on a vhs recorded from tv back in 1988...and he's never been remotely close to pink....so as i said, either its a pal/ntsc issue or i'm just special...lol

That didn't really clarify anything for me I think I know what you're trying to say, but it all depends on the intended ratio. Personally I think it was animated with TV in mind, then cropped for theatrical exhibition, so 'cropped' still stands. Any way you look at it, if you remove info you're cropping the image, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in some circumstances. I'm guessing that's what you were trying to say?

As an aside, the 4:3 transfer in this set is shocking. Really, really bad. I can only guess that it's the old Metrodome transfer, which looks like VHS. Still, I guess most people will buy it for the widescreen version.

Quote: indeed, it’s how many, many widescreen films are created to this very day It's worth clarifying here to not imply open matt 4:3 to Widescreen is cropped from the 4:3 version, that for many films anyway a larger matted image is created specifically to them crop redundent information down to a widescreen image.

That's probably not the case here as it would've also been made (more than likely) with TV in mind but generally speaking the extra information cropped is not crucial to the film and the director never intended anyway to see it/it to be used anyway. It's worth clarifying that so people don't assume such films are "cropped" in the strictest sense.

Hmmmm...the sony version has better features, the metrodome has a better presentation...guess the answer is to get both. I hope they eventually do an HD version. I would think if this was on 35mm it would be possible, although would require lots of additional restoration.

On another note, anyone read that although they got Hugo Weaving for megatron in the upcoming movie, they DID get Frank Welker to be megatron in the lame videogame adaption. How retarded is that?

That makes the stupid videogame already better then the movie by default.

Good film, the most moving depiction of a death from you-know-who in any Transformer incarnation. Plus without this film, Simon Furman would never have written the likes of Target 2006 or Legacy of Unicron for Marvel UK.